Ever felt unable to concentrate or recall things or even plan and execute the simplest of plans? You may be suffering from brain fog.
As many would believe, brain fog is not a medical condition. It is, however, a range of different symptoms surrounding cognitive impairment, in which an individual is unable to process thoughts, take decisions, concentrate, think straight, experience mental fatigue, and execute routine tasks.
Here’s all you need to know about brain fog, its causes, symptoms, and ways to manage it.
What is brain fog?
Brain fog is a term for a range of symptoms that cause cognitive impairment and makes it difficult to carry out routine tasks. For example, it affects your ability to think with clarity, focus, concentrate, remember, and pay attention.
Just like the term, these symptoms cloud your mind and judgement, making it tough to do routine tasks like holding a conversation, following instructions or remembering the steps of a particular activity. You may feel confused or disorganised or find it hard to focus or put your thoughts into words. Here are some symptoms of brain fog:
Symptoms of brain fog
Brain fog can present differently for each person. If you have brain fog, you may experience the following symptoms:
• Poor concentration
• Weak memory
• Lack of motivation
• Poor performance at work
• Fuzzy thoughts
• Fatigue and sleepiness
• Low self-esteem
• Unable to understand or construct simple sentences
• Inability to execute a plan, solve a problem, or organize
Causes of brain fog
1. Chronic unchecked stress levels
According to several studies, chronic stress could ultimately become the root cause of depression, hypertension and weak immunity.
Stress can exhaust your brain which could make it harder to think reasonably and focus on important tasks. That’s why stress is known to be one of the main causes of brain fog.
2. Lack of sleep
We all know the effects of a poor night’s sleep. Lack of sleep could cloud your judgement, make your brain feel tired, and affect your ability to perform at the optimum levels.
Poor sleeping patterns can impair your brain function. Everyone needs eight to nine hours of quality sleep for their brains to function in a healthy manner.
3. Hormonal changes
Many research studies suggest that hormonal changes can too cause brain fog. It could happen during pregnancy, menopause or hormonal disorders like PCOS.
The levels of the progesterone and estrogen rise during pregnancy. This change can affect memory and cause short-term cognitive impairment. Similarly, a drop in estrogen levels during menopause can result in poor memory, concentration, and cloudy thoughts.
4. Diet
Diet plays a crucial role when it comes to brain fog. Vitamin B12 is known to support healthy brain functioning.
So, a vitamin B12 deficiency can affect cognitive function and result in brain fog. You must consult with your doctor if you suspect a vitamin B12 deficiency in your body.
5. Medical conditions
Medical conditions associated with inflammation, fatigue, or disruption in blood sugar levels can also cause brain fog. For example, brain fog is a symptom of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), which involves persistent fatigue for a prolonged period of time. Other conditions that may cause brain fog include:
• Autoimmune diseases, like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjögren’s syndrome, and multiple sclerosis
• Depression
• Anemia
• Hypothyroidism
• Diabetes
• Migraine
Ways to prevent brain fog
1. Prioritise your sleep
Sleep is key for optimum cognitive function and memory consolidation. Consistently getting seven to nine hours of quality sleep per night can help ensure that your brain is refreshed and all set to function at its maximum capacity. Quality sleep helps you obtain clarity, lowers stress and boosts mood.
2. Be active throughout the day
Any type of physical movement pumps up blood flow to the brain and could help boost mood, sleep and overall cognitive function. Being active can also lower anxiety and depression. Aim to hit at least 150 minutes of moderate activity per week to keep your brain function up and running.
3. Re-train your brain
There are certain strategies that may help you re-calibrate your brain and help it function better. These could include breaking down large goals into smaller, manageable tasks.
These strategies can help improve your focus. Limiting distractions around your workplace and staying organized can also help immensely.
4. Aim for a balanced diet
Eating processed foods frequently or food and drinks that make blood sugar spike and crash can deprive the brain of energy and may result in brain fog.
It may be helpful to eat nutritious foods with antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids, found in foods such as salmon, walnuts and flaxseeds.
5. Manage stress
Stress is a part of life but you must learn how to manage it. The more stressed you are, the harder it will be to focus , which can affect other cognitive functions. Chronic stress can increase cortisol levels, which may negatively impact brain health.
Deep breathing exercises, meditation, daily walks and engaging in enjoyable activities can help alleviate stress.
Social and lead images credits: Freepik
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